1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a display system, a cursor position indication method, and a recording medium. Specifically, the present invention relates to: a display system including a graphical user interface (hereinafter, xe2x80x9cGUIxe2x80x9d) for indicating a cursor position in a such manner that a user can readily find the cursor position; a cursor position indication method for indicating a cursor position in a such manner that a user can readily find the cursor position; and a recording medium including a computer program for indicating a cursor position in a such manner that a user can readily find the cursor position.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, the use of multi-display systems, in which a plurality of display devices are connected to a single information processing apparatus, has been increasing.
FIG. 7 shows a conventional multi-display system 400. The multi-display system 400 includes a display section 4, an information processing apparatus 10 for controlling the display section 4, a mouse 21 connected to the information processing apparatus 10, and a keyboard 22 connected to the information processing apparatus 10. The display section 4 includes a first display device 411 and a second display device 412. The first display device 411 has a first display screen 4011, and the second display device 412 has a second display screen 4012. The information processing apparatus 10 includes a power button 12.
On one of the first display screen 4011 and the second display screen 4012, a mouse cursor 500 corresponding to the mouse 21 is displayed. With the mouse 21, a user can freely moves the mouse cursor 500 on the first display screen 4011 and the second display screen 4012.
However, in the conventional multi-display system 400, as compared to a single display system, the user is more likely to lose sight of the mouse cursor 500 on the display screen.
Especially in the following cases, it is difficult for the user to find the position of the mouse cursor 500:
For example, when the user performs an input operation (e.g., a key entry) while the multi-display system 400 is in a power saving mode during which the power of display devices are off, the display devices are powered-on, and the mouse cursor 500 is re-displayed. In such a case, it is difficult for the user to find the position of the re-displayed mouse cursor 500.
Furthermore, when the mouse cursor 500 moves discontinuously from one position to another amongst a plurality of display screens, e.g., when the mouse cursor 500 is moved from one display screen to another by depressing a specific key on the keyboard (hereinafter, such a movement of the mouse cursor is referred to as a xe2x80x9ccursor jumpxe2x80x9d), it is difficult for the user to find the position of the mouse cursor 500.
In a system disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Publication No. 11-282627, an icon for a mouse cursor is displayed on a screen all the time, and if the mouse cursor is left unmoved for a predetermined time period, the mouse cursor is moved onto the icon. Such a function helps the user to find the mouse cursor. However, since the icon is displayed on the screen all the time, an area on the display screen which the user can freely use is reduced by an area occupied by the icon.
According to one aspect of the present invention, a display system includes: a display section; and a control section for controlling the display section, wherein the control section includes a cursor display section for displaying a cursor on the display section, and a cursor position indication image display section for displaying on the display section, based on a predetermined condition, a cursor position indication image which indicates a position of the cursor displayed by the cursor display section, and the cursor position indication image display section displays the cursor position indication image in the vicinity of the cursor displayed by the cursor display section.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the cursor position indication image display section displays the cursor position indication image in a position such that a user of the display system can see the cursor position indication image substantially together with the cursor on the display section.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the cursor position indication image display section displays the cursor position indication image such that a central position of the cursor position indication image is positioned substantially on a central position of the cursor.
In still another embodiment of the present invention, the cursor position indication image display section displays the cursor position indication image in such a manner that the user of the display system can readily recognize the cursor position indication image on the display section.
In still another embodiment of the present invention, the predetermined condition includes transition of the cursor from a non-display state to a display state.
In still another embodiment of the present invention, the non-display state includes a state where the power to the display section is off; and the display state includes a state where the display section is powered-on again.
In still another embodiment of the present invention, the display section includes a plurality of display screens; and the cursor display section displays the cursor on one of the plurality of display screens.
In still another embodiment of the present invention, the cursor display section includes a cursor movement section for moving the cursor from one display screen to another display screen amongst the plurality of display screens; and the predetermined condition includes a movement of the cursor by the cursor movement section from one display screen to another display screen among the plurality of display screens.
In still another embodiment of the present invention, the cursor position indication image includes a dynamic image.
In still another embodiment of the present invention, the control section includes a cursor position indication image termination direction section for directing termination of display of the cursor position indication image based on a predetermined termination condition; and the cursor position indication image display section terminates the display of the cursor position indication image on the display section in response to the direction from the cursor position indication image termination direction section.
In still another embodiment of the present invention, the predetermined termination condition includes an expiration of a predetermined time period since the cursor position indication image was displayed on the display section by the cursor position indication image display section for indicating the position of the cursor displayed by the cursor display section.
In still another embodiment of the present invention, the display section includes a single display screen; and the cursor display section displays the cursor on the single display screen.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a cursor position indication method includes: a cursor display step of displaying a cursor on a display section; and a cursor position indication image display step of displaying on the display section, based on a predetermined condition, a cursor position indication image which indicates a position of the cursor displayed by the cursor display step, wherein the cursor position indication image display step includes a step of displaying the cursor position indication image in the vicinity of the cursor displayed by the cursor display step.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the predetermined condition includes transition of the cursor from a non-display state to a display state.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the non-display state includes a state where the power to the display section is off; and the display state includes a state where the display section is powered-on again.
In still another embodiment of the present invention, the display section includes a plurality of display screens; and the cursor display step includes a step of displaying the cursor on one of the plurality of display screens.
In still another embodiment of the present invention, the cursor display step includes a cursor movement step of moving the cursor from one display screen to another display screen amongst the plurality of display screens; and the predetermined condition includes a movement of the cursor by the cursor movement step from one display screen to another display screen among the plurality of display screens.
In still another embodiment of the present invention, the cursor position indication image includes a dynamic image.
In still another embodiment of the present invention, the cursor position indication method further includes a cursor position indication image termination direction step of directing termination of display of the cursor position indication image based on a predetermined termination condition; and the cursor position indication image display step includes a step of terminating the display of the cursor position indication image on the display section in response to the direction by the cursor position indication image termination direction step.
In still another embodiment of the present invention, the predetermined termination condition includes an expiration of a predetermined time period since the cursor position indication image was displayed on the display section at the cursor position indication image display step for indicating the position of the cursor displayed by the cursor display step.
In still another embodiment of the present invention, the display section includes a single display screen; and the cursor display step includes a step of displaying the cursor on the single display screen.
In still another aspect of the present invention, a computer-readable recording medium containing a program for allowing a computer to execute: a cursor display step of displaying a cursor on a display section; and a cursor position indication image display step of displaying on the display section, based on a predetermined condition, a cursor position indication image which indicates a position of the cursor displayed by the cursor display step, wherein the cursor position indication image display step includes a step of displaying the cursor position indication image in the vicinity of the cursor displayed by the cursor display step.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the predetermined condition includes transition of the cursor from a non-display state to a display state.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the non-display state includes a state where the power to the display section is off; and the display state includes a state where the display section is powered-on again.
In still another embodiment of the present invention, the display section includes a plurality of display screens; and the cursor display step includes a step of displaying the cursor on one of the plurality of display screens.
In still another embodiment of the present invention, the cursor display step includes a cursor movement step of moving the cursor from one display screen to another display screen amongst the plurality of display screens; and the predetermined condition includes a movement of the cursor by the cursor movement step from one display screen to another display screen among the plurality of display screens.
In still another embodiment of the present invention, the cursor position indication image includes a dynamic image.
In still another embodiment of the present invention, the program further allows the computer to execute a cursor position indication image termination direction step of directing termination of display of the cursor position indication image based on a predetermined termination condition; and the cursor position indication image display step includes a step of terminating the display of the cursor position indication image on the display section in response to the direction by the cursor position indication image termination direction step.
In still another embodiment of the present invention, the predetermined termination condition includes an expiration of a predetermined time period since the cursor position indication image was displayed on the display section at the cursor position indication image display step for indicating the position of the cursor displayed by the cursor display step.
In still another embodiment of the present invention, the display section includes a single display screen; and the cursor display step includes a step of displaying the cursor on the single display screen.
According to one aspect of the present invention, a user of a display system can readily find a mouse cursor on a display screen even when the display system returns from the power-saving mode and display devices which were off are powered-on again.
According to another aspect of the present invention, even when the mouse cursor jumps between the display devices (cursor jump), the user of the display system can readily find the mouse cursor on the display screen.
Thus, the invention described herein makes possible the advantage of providing a display system, a cursor position indication method, and a recording medium for helping a user of the display system to find a mouse cursor when the display system returns from the power-saving mode and the mouse cursor is re-displayed, or when the mouse cursor is jumped from one display screen to another.
This and other advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading and understanding the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying figures.